Melbourne City sign Josh Kennedy as Aussie marquee

Melbourne City FC have announced the signing of Socceroos striker Josh Kennedy as its Australian marquee for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 Hyundai A-League seasons.

Kennedy, 32, will join the club in January 2015 from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus, where his prolific scoring has been a significant factor in Nagoya achieving its first ever J-League title and Kennedy winning the J-League’s Golden Boot award.

In joining Melbourne City FC, the towering Victorian-born striker returns to the State where he played his junior football, before embarking on a successful career in Germany and Japan.

Kennedy has represented Australia on 33 occasions, scoring 17 goals for the Socceroos, with his most important in Australia’s World Cup qualification match in June 2013.

His 83rd minute header secured a 1-0 win over Iraq and a spot at this year’s FIFA World Cup Finals.

Melbourne City FC coach John van’t Schip said: “Josh is a wonderful addition to our squad. He is the right person and the right player for Melbourne City FC and we look forward to him joining us in January.

“Josh’s record shows that he is a proven goal scorer and with the high quality of players around him, we are confident that he can create significant problems for defences in the A-League.”

Commenting on the move Kennedy said: “After a very long period abroad, the timing is right to join Melbourne City and I’m very excited about this project.

"It's a new chapter in my career, but my goal will be the same - to help my club achieve all of its aspirations. I believe Melbourne City has huge potential.”